Adult White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla. Note that it is ringed on both feet. The blue ring indicate that it was ringed as a nestling in Norway, and the orange that it was ringed in 2003.

A bit delayed because the weather conditions lately, we were finally able to do our annual seabird-count on 18 February 2014. The count is part of a national program monitoring seabirds populatioins in Norway, SEAPOP. The day was good for counting from the boat, sunny and calm. The study area streches 15 kilometers in an exposed coastal habitat in Hordaland county (western Norway), and is only accessible by boat.

Highlights of the day included fantastic views of White-tailed Eagles all day through. A total of 13 birds were seen. An unexpected adult Little Gull fed in the water surface at Børsosen, becoming the 5th winter record of the species in the county (following two other records in Hordaland in this winter). I felt the numbers and demography of Long-tailed Ducks were a bit different than before (more birds and more immatures), but the numbers must be punched before comparisons.

We found a ringed and flagged Purple Sandpiper in a party of about 50 other birds just outside our survey area. The bird had a metal ring on its left tarsus, an orange ring on left tibia and a green flag with the inscription MJE on the right tibia. We passed the info to ringer Kjell Mork Soot, who could tell us that he had ringed the bird 2004 kilometers away, near Longyearbyen (Spitsbergen) in August 2012. It was ringed as a juvenile, still with down around the head. The bird was re-sighted close to the ringing site in June 2013, and eventually seen wintering here in Hordaland county. Map

The most common species in the study area are Common Eiders, Long-tailed Ducks, Black Scoters, Shags, Cormorants, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls. White-tailed Eagles are also present all time, and a total of 13 birds were seen during the day. Other less numerous species include Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Grey Heron, Purple Sandpiper (100), Ruddy Turnstone (1), Little Gull (1 adult), Kittiwake (1 adult), Common Gull (1 adult), Common Guillemot, Black Guillemot. Also worth mentioning are two female plumaged Aythya-ducks suspected to be Greater Scaups.

Purple Sandpipers Calidris maritima having a last swing above the sea in Øygarden, western Norway before going to rest in the afternoon.